Two in the Bush
by Rosage
Summary: Pride, sunshine, and a father's love—all things Kay Faraday has lost since beginning her career as the Yatagarasu. Trucy Wright has all three in abundance, and her tricks seem like the perfect thing to cover up a botched heist. Stuck in the shadows, Kay must decide whether a hero would steal a child's magic before the threat of prison takes the choice out of her hands.


Kay slid into the courtroom five minutes after the trial was scheduled to start. She didn't announce herself until she was settled into her roost, which made the judge, who'd missed her entrance, blink.

"Prosecutor Faraday, that's your third tardy this month."

"Sorry. I snuck in to avoid the paparazzi, and security wasn't so happy about it."

"I should hope not! Next time, ask for a guard if you're worried about being mobbed."

"Gotcha, your honor."

Kay dived into her opening statement. The defendant was accused of sneaking into medical offices and stealing doctored files. Sizing him up, she scoffed—he was too twitchy to be a good Yatagarasu. The defense attorney, on the other hand, was as good as Edgeworth had promised, and Kay relaxed, knowing an innocent wouldn't be convicted for her crimes.

More surprising was the defense aide. Her magician's outfit looked out of place, and she was a spritely thing, a kid (unlike the attorney, who just looked like one), but she was sharp, and Kay learned to look to her for cues.

After the not guilty verdict was declared, Kay hung around. She bought two packs of Swiss rolls before rethinking and getting a third. When the defense team emerged, she approached them with a wave.

"Hey. I just wanted to say thanks."

The attorney looked puzzled. "You're thanking me for beating you?"

"No, silly; I was thanking _her_."

The attorney's hair wilted as he side-eyed his assistant, who clasped her hands behind her back and bounced. "Me?"

"Yeah! I could tell you were giving it your all. Here, this is on me." She tossed a Swiss roll to the girl, who caught it with delight.

"Thanks, ma'am!"

The attorney mumbled. Kay would have felt bad if his grumpy face wasn't so funny.

"No problem. Keep up the good work, kiddo." Filing the girl's face into her memory, she flitted away to scope out an escape route.

xxxxxxx

A stack of newspapers sat on Edgeworth's desk when Kay visited him the next day. The one he held, she saw as she sat down, was about her latest heist; without looking, she knew the others were, too. The press was having a field day with the Yatagarasu's reappearance, even more so than with the discovery that Meriktas was only the tip of the medical fraud iceberg. Seeing the Chief Prosecutor keeping tabs on her would have scared her had she not been his adopted daughter, but she was, even if it was 'only a formality,' so instead she felt safer.

"It seems doctors are being vigilant," he said. "One of them reported a break-in before any evidence was sent to the media…while denying, of course, that there was any dirt to dig up in the first place."

His newspaper hid his face, but she could imagine his disgusted expression. She shook her head. "Looks like the Yatagarasu's dropped the ball. 'By the time you notice, it's already gone.'" Her father—her real one—would never have made that mistake. The evidence, a flash drive of secret files, would have reached the media first.

Edgeworth cleared his throat. "If you ask me, the Yatagarasu would be wise to hold off on sending that evidence. Certain…_connections_ might come to light if they don't wait until things die down."

Sticking her tongue in her cheek, she nodded, torn between being touched by the advice and hurt that he refused to look at her. Shaming one father to make the other proud had never been her goal. Her eyes jumped to the unopened Swiss roll on his desk.

"Hey," she said, "What do you know about defense aides?"

Edgeworth peered over the newspaper and adjusted his glasses. "What is it you want to know?"

"Apollo Justice's aide. Cute little thing, wears a top hat, has a sweet giggle."

"I do better with names than personal ads."

Kay leaned over the back of her chair. "Wright. Trucy Wright."

Edgeworth turned an interesting shade of green. "The name rings a bell. Why do you want to know about her?"

"Just curious."

He eyed her warily before setting his paper down and rifling through his drawer. "You'd be better off going to the source than asking me. Here. These are tickets to some sort of show she puts on."

Kay scanned them. "The Wonder Bar? Why do you have these?"

Mouth twitching, he glanced away. "Aggressive advertising," he said.

xxxxxxx

The Wonder Bar was packed when Kay entered. Out of habit she stuck to the shadows in the back, scanning the crowd while she waited. She waved to Apollo, who pointed her out to a man with hair like Agent Lang's. The man shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his back to her, though she caught him flashing her glances.

The lights dimmed. Overhead, a disco ball spun. Kay resisted the urge to dance. She wouldn't have held back in her younger days, but she'd learned not to stand out. Multi-colored smoke billowed onto the stage, making the crowd cough as it filled the room. The smoke dissipated; Kay spotted the spiky-haired man slip away from a window he'd cracked open as Trucy, now on-stage, curtsied.

"Welcome everyone, and thank you for coming. And a special thanks to Ema Skye for rigging the smoke effect, though she didn't say there'd be that much…"

She rapped her forehead with her knuckles and shrugged. The crowd chuckled. Arms folded, Kay leaned against the wall and grinned.

Trucy began the show. It was unconventional, which Kay appreciated. She didn't count a single rabbit; instead, a frozen chicken, a lobster, and a stack of law books all served as props. She made a mental note to tell Edgeworth that the opposition didn't have any better use for evidence law than making it disappear.

The way Trucy hid 'The Amazing Mr. Hat' piqued Kay's interest. When Trucy pulled out an entire stepladder in the middle of her Magic Panties trick, Kay's mind reeled. How good of a hiding place could someone with Trucy's bag of tricks come up with? She remembered the flash drive, then shook her head. She wasn't here for work.

When the show was done, Trucy waved her over. "Hey! You're that pretty prosecutor!"

Kay grinned. "I'm honored you remember." She winced. "I mean, right back at you. Great show! I've seen a lot of magicians, but you're a real stand out."

"Thanks! How'd you hear about the show, anyway? Did Daddy invite you?"

"Ye—uh, no. Not your daddy. Mine."

"I'm sorry to butt in, but…" The spiky-haired man edged in front of Trucy. "Who did you say you were?"

"Kay Faraday. You're…?"

"Wright. Phoenix Wright."

Her eyebrows shot up. She whistled. "No kidding."

Hand on her hip, Trucy pinched his sleeve. "Forgive my daddy's nosiness, Ms. Kay. He's just protective." She gave him a meaningful look. He held his hands in the air, gave Kay a _what can you do _smile, and left. Kay turned to Trucy.

"So, do you do private shows? I'd love to see more of your tricks."

Trucy eagerly rattled off some figures before telling Kay she could have the first one free. Happy to have something to look forward to, Kay left with the flash drive in the back of her mind.

xxxxxxx

Trucy didn't have the Wonder Bar for private use, so Kay found herself at the Wright and Co. Law Offices the next weekend. When the door opened, she walked face-first into a houseplant. She saluted it when Trucy introduced her, earning her a giggle. Moving a law book and hula-hoop aside, she perched on the couch and admired a three-legged side table before surveying the office. A mess of paperwork and food wrappers mingled with Trucy's trick boxes and plastic spaghetti. The one clean corner of the desk, as Trucy told her, was 'Polly's'.

With a flourish, Trucy ran through her routine. Kay became wistful. Bright and proud, Trucy was so much like Kay had been less than a decade ago, brandishing Little Thief without a care. It was like magic, the way Trucy reminded her.

Trucy finished with a bow. After a round of applause, Kay leaned forward, chin on her hand. "That was great! Especially the one where you made the mop disappear…bet your daddy wishes he could do that with evidence sometimes, huh?"

"Nope. Every time I try to do that, Daddy and Polly get mad."

"Spoil sports."

"Tell me about it! I don't know what they're expecting when they show things to a magician."

"Sounds like flashing your wallet in front of a thief." Kay crossed her leg. "It's a neat trick, though. I don't suppose you could teach me?"

Trucy put her hands on her hips. "What are you saying? A magician never reveals her secrets!"

"Aw, pretty please? It'd be just between us."

"You can ask a million times, but the answer will be no. The heir to Troupe Gramarye can't make such an amateur mistake."

Mentally, Kay whistled approval. Back when she was Trucy's age, she'd mentioned wanting to find two attractive ladies her age for the Yatagarasu. Looked like one had come a generation too late. Better yet, this one wasn't likely to blab, unlike Ema, who Kay had had to rule out, not that it stopped her from stealing her gizmos. Plus…

No_. _Trucy wasn't even officially in law enforcement. And she was so _young_. Kay tried to curb this over-thinking and focus on the moment. Unfortunately, what surfaced was her usual brazenness.

"Hey," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. "I can respect that. I won't ask again. But say…I bet you could make _anything _disappear, huh?"

"Yup! Well, the blimp didn't work so well…"

Kay didn't bother trying to picture that. "So, if I brought you things, you could make them vanish?"

Trucy frowned. "I only take requests from the audience on Thursdays."

"This would be a little more…private. Kind of like our show today."

"I don't see why not. Are you sure you won't want it back, though?"

"Oh, it'd be a problem if it disappeared forever, huh? How about…you make it disappear, and I have to find it. Like a scavenger hunt."

"A scavenger hunt? That sounds fun."

The way Trucy bounced on her heels made Kay reconsider. But on the other hand, she wasn't actually getting Trucy to do anything dangerous, right? She wasn't even going to hand her the flash drive. This was just a test round—some trinket to see how good Trucy was, professional-to-professional.

And, well, if worse came to worse, there was no harm in having a repertoire of tricks at her fingers.

xxxxxxx

Waiting to send the flash drive to the media was driving Kay nuts. She kept it close at hand, too antsy about getting rid of it to put it someplace more secure, but not only did holding it increase her risk of being caught, but it also let the doctors' corruption continue. Twice she almost gave in to sending it, but Edgeworth's warning rang in her ears. With nothing to do but wait, she took her mind off it by visiting Trucy.

The test run went better than Kay had dreamed. The Swiss roll she gave Trucy didn't make it back into her hands until a trail of clues sent her jumping through literal hoops, thrilling her inner ninja as well as blasting her with water, feathers, and more of that rainbow-colored smoke. She laughed as she brushed feathers off her pants. "Good thing I didn't wear my suit. Hey, did you know I double as a raven? These would fit right in if they weren't pink."

Trucy was sweeping the mess into an old pillowcase. "A raven? Do you know a shape-shifting trick?"

Impulsively, Kay pulled her bandana over her mouth. "Nah, it was a sports reference."

Frustration welled. This wasn't how she'd imagined it as a kid. Hiding, lying, scheming, as if being the Yatagarasu was something to be ashamed of. As if she wasn't a hero.

She walked over to the piano to distract herself. It was too covered in props to poke at, so she squinted at the picture over top. "Quite the grand-looking—er, hardcore guy."

Trucy bounced over. "That's Magnifi Gramarye. He was the greatest magician ever!"

"Oh, now I remember. Troupe Gramarye. They were really big."

"They're still big! Or, well, they will be, once I've perfected Daddy's repertoire."

"Daddy's…?" Kay turned to her, gears spinning, and in a flash of realization understood quickly enough to save Trucy from giving an all-too-familiar explanation. "Oh. You're going to follow in his footsteps, then, huh?"

Trucy beamed. "Yup!"

A pang of pride hit her, startling her. She didn't know pride could hurt. Maybe it was something daddies knew.

Smiling, Kay tossed Trucy the Swiss roll. "From one professional to another," she said. Trucy caught it with a grin and a bounce.

xxxxxxx

Kay received the warning from Edgeworth two days later. It came in a whisper as he brushed past without leaving a trace of evidence.

_Surprise search this evening at your apartment._

She didn't waste time chasing him down to thank him before taking wing. Half an hour later, she was at the Wright and Co. Law Offices.

She stopped to catch her breath. She'd come here without thinking, and she had half a mind to turn back, but there was so little time, and the only thing that mattered was getting that flash drive out of her hands. After calming herself, she straightened her suit and knocked.

Bunny-ears answered, looking confused. Kay asked for Trucy, who happily agreed to follow her outside. Kay felt Phoenix's eyes follow them and raised her bandana over her chin.

Once they were outside, Kay layered on a bit of praise and asked Trucy to do another disappearing act. She handed over a Swiss roll wrapper—"Another one?" Trucy asked, puzzled, to which Kay replied that this one held a secret (_"But a magician wouldn't reveal a secret, would they?"_)—and walked Trucy back to the office, fiddling with her ponytail all the while.

It was after Trucy disappeared into the office that panic set in. Kay's eyes darted to the window, where a spiky silhouette was drawing the curtains. Once again, her rashness had gotten the better of her. In her hurry to get rid of the evidence, she'd delivered it straight to an attorney—a protective father, at that. Memories of visiting Uncle Badd in prison (his skin gray, his stubble grown into a full beard, his eyes ringed and red and haunted) hadn't left her once, and now they felt imminent in a way that made her stomach flop.

There was nothing she could do about it now; the deed was done, and she had to check her apartment again before the search. Her one comfort was that Trucy's father would make sure she didn't become Kay's cellmate. If she did, Kay would never forgive herself.

xxxxxxx

The next few days passed quietly. Kay gave the policeman that searched her an innocent grin and a few smart remarks, though she felt a bit bad when she considered he was just doing his job. After it seemed that Phoenix Wright hadn't run to the police, Kay cautiously called Trucy.

When she strolled into People Park the next day it was sunny, warming her face as well as bringing families in droves that made blending in easier. Opening the 'OG' muffin she'd bought from the energetic kid manning the bakery nearby, she whistled the Jammin' Ninja theme and headed toward the bench. When she got there, Phoenix Wright was lying across it.

"I didn't know ravens were songbirds," he said.

"And I didn't know lawyers played poker," she replied, fervently planning escape routes.

"Got me," he said, laughing. He sat up, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie and daring her with a glance to join him. She did. His expression turned dead serious. "Let's cut to the chase. Stay away from my daughter, or I'm calling the police."

His face told her not to play dumb. "You mean you haven't?"

"Don't read into it. If you weren't Edgeworth's kid, I'd have you in chains."

Kay folded her arms, mocking a light tone. "Oh, come now. That's not really a defense attorney's job, is it?"

"No," he said. "But it is a father's."

Her smile fell. His hard eyes contained something familiar, something she'd seen in rare moments when Edgeworth summoned an officer who'd harassed her into his office or in more frequent moments from her father—her daddy—in memories that felt more like dreams. She shifted her gaze over his shoulder, grimacing when her sight landed on a father and daughter picnicking under a nearby tree.

"This is just a hypothetical," she said, "But suppose you called the cops. Do you have anything on me?"

He pulled a Swiss roll out of his hoodie pocket. Before she could grab it, he stuffed it back in. "Don't get excited—this is just a spare I had my understudy buy. But I think you get the point."

Her mind turned like wheels caught in tar. "How about this: I get the evidence back, and I'll give you a signed promise to never go near your daughter again."

"Or, how about, I'm the one with the evidence, and I'm not bargaining with a thief."

Ouch. Nailed it in one. She mulled it over. "What if you sent the evidence to the media for me? Then at least those slimy doctors couldn't take advantage of those poor patients anymore, right?"

"Sorry, but I'm not doing your dirty work for you. My daughter's more important to me than some strangers."

She knew then he had her beat. She couldn't fight a father's love—didn't even want to. "I have your word," she said, "That if I stay away from Trucy, you won't go to the police?"

"On Edgeworth's honor," he said. She smiled. Anyone who knew Phoenix Wright knew that was a very serious vow.

"Okay. I'll back off. And, Mr. Wright, I'm sure this doesn't mean much now, but…"

"Don't," he said, standing. "You won't get very far if you can't keep your poker face." Squinting from the sun, he looked at the sky, giving Kay the image of a raven watching its chick fly away. With tired eyes he turned to her, his mask gone. "Edgeworth wouldn't cover for just anyone, you know. Don't make things harder for him than you have to." With a wry smile, he left, leaving Kay to eat her muffin and watch the picnicking father split a sandwich with his daughter.

xxxxxxx

The next several days were dampened by disappointment. Maybe the patients whose files were on that flash drive were daddies, she thought as she lay awake. Maybe they were some little girl's hero. She buried her face in her pillow. Her daddy had missed a lot of opportunities in his time. Uncle Badd, too; his regrets ran so deep that even in adulthood she'd barely begun to scratch the surface. Knowing it came with the territory didn't help; she wanted to make them proud, and she couldn't stop fumbling up.

She tried her best to move on. There were other battles to fight, other corruption to throw into the light of day. There wasn't another assistant quite like Trucy, but at least Kay didn't have to worry about endangering her. Besides, she'd gotten this far without magic in her life, even if her days lacked spark.

To prove her wings weren't clipped, she began preparing for her next heist. It was on her way out of the courthouse one evening that she ran into trouble.

A detective—or that's what they looked like, with an upturned trench coat collar and sunglasses reminding her of Shih-na—gestured to her and held up a figurine of a raven. Freezing, Kay glanced through the courthouse windows at the guards as she took slow steps the opposite way. When she reached the corner, she rounded the block and ran.

Adrenaline spurred her. _Just think of it like tag, _she told herself. _Hide and seek, anything. Just don't lose. _But it wasn't a game, and she wasn't a kid. She thought of Badd in prison, of doctors, of every sloppy mistake. _Some successor I am, _she thought, focusing on pumping her legs to keep hot tears from falling.

Spotting a reflection of the detective in a window, she turned the other way—or so she thought. But like an illusion, the reflection disappeared, and just as she was turning into an alley, the detective cut her off. Before Kay could react, a hand seized her wrist.

She twisted, ploys running through her mind, _help! Kidnapper!_ chief among them, but the detective was smaller than she was, and whatever business they had, maybe it was best done without witnesses.

Before she could think further, the detective pulled off their sunglasses. Kay's eyes widened. "Trucy?!"

Grinning, Trucy tipped her fedora. "Neat disguise, huh?"

"You…you're…what are you doing? You can't be talking to me!"

Trucy crossed her arms. "Says who?"

"Your daddy, that's who. And if I'm seen with you, I'm going to get in some real trouble."

"Don't worry. Daddy's visiting my aunt up in the mountains. It's two hours by train, and nobody recognized me."

"That's not the point!" Kay said, though she was impressed. "Your father's only worried about your safety. You can't disobey him by—"

"Oh, not you, too! And here I thought you'd understand."

Kay paused, taking in the defiance in Trucy's stance and remembering a promise she'd once made in an embassy—_I'll be careful_—and how often she'd broken it since.

"At least hear me out," Trucy said.

"All right."

Unwilling to take Trucy farther into the alley, Kay led them both up a fire escape. She'd suggested they split up, but Trucy refused, staying close as if Kay would disappear. Using the windowsill as a foothold, Kay climbed onto the roof, offering Trucy a hand up before dangling her legs over the edge. Once Trucy had settled, she reached into her pocket. "First off…I wanted to give this back."

The sight of the Swiss roll wrapper nearly made Kay fall off her roost. "Don't tell me you stole that from your dad!"

"Nope! He never touched it. I switched what was inside out as soon as you gave it to me."

Checking that the flash drive was there before pocketing it, Kay whistled. "But why?"

"I knew if he took it from me, I couldn't give it back to you. A magician never leaves a trick unfinished."

Trucy's smile put a damper on Kay's relief. "Trucy, this prop is…"

"No, you can't tell. A professional never reveals their secrets. Just make sure those doctors get locked up, 'kay?"

Realization came slowly. Trucy knew everything—probably always had. _Played for a fool, _Aunt Franziska would have said. "But how?"

Trucy kicked her legs. "Oh, you left a lot of clues. In that trial, for one. But the easiest one was your habit."

"My habit?"

"When anything related to your job comes up, you pull your bandana over your chin."

Kay was floored. "I…guess I do do that, now that you mention it. But how'd you notice a thing like that?"

"Magician's secret," Trucy said, rapping her knuckles against her fedora. "More importantly, when's your next show?"

"Huh?"

"You know, your next heist. I've got all sorts of other tricks up my sleeve. See?" In one smooth motion, the Amazing Mr. Hat came out of Trucy's trench coat, grabbing her fedora with a sweeping bow. "Instant decoy!"

Seeing that Trucy was steady, Kay dropped the arm she'd held out in case the weight of the prop made Trucy topple off the edge. "Trucy, haven't you heard anything I've said? Your father'll have me jailed, if he doesn't kill me first!"

"Nope. He can't do that. He doesn't have any evidence on you, remember?"

The breeze tickled Kay's chin. She looked out over the rooftops ahead of them, a veritable jungle gym for a great thief. Many a treasure had tempted her—Cohdopia's Primidux statue, Ema's gadgets, the chance to have a _father _again, even one who was stiff and cold and didn't pin his badge on her as a game—but this girl and her magic were one of the most tempting she'd ever found. She thought back to the portrait in the office, to her meeting with Phoenix Wright ("He's just protective," Trucy had said with a roll of her eyes),and Kay realized she could never steal Trucy, not when she had her own mask to wear, her own hero to follow, a daddy and a father both.

"No," she said, lifting her bandana over her chin. "Absolutely not." And because Trucy's all-too-familiar stance told that arguing would be pointless, she flew off without a word, not realizing until she was halfway down the street that, in a gaffe that would have disappointed both her fathers, she'd forgotten to thank her.

xxxxxxx

One week later, Kay entered her apartment and collapsed against the wall with a sigh. Being a hero of justice was all well and good, but it was _tiring_. She'd sent the flash drive to the media, who'd published it right away. After the clinic came forth with some excuse, one of the patients had sued, prompting Edgeworth to launch an investigation. He'd be leading the prosecution himself, he said.

Phoenix Wright's words came back. _Edgeworth wouldn't cover for just anyone, you know_. Kay grinned.

She didn't give herself time to rest. She had a heist that night, and she was determined to be less sloppy. She was sweeping her apartment for bugs when she noticed the letter stuck under her door—typed, with no address and no name. She plopped down on Edgeworth's old sofa to read.

_To whom it may concern,_

_I'm writing to inform you that leaving without saying goodbye is totally unprofessional. That's okay, though; you can make it up to me by considering this letter._

_First of all, I saw the news about those doctors. Only a monster would play with their patients' lives like that; my friend went to a doctor like that once, so I would know. He's alive and well, by the way. I recommend his OG muffin._

_I thought you should know that I think the person who uncovered their lies is a hero. I also wanted to tell you my dad has a saying: 'Everyone wear a mask, whether over their face or over their heart.' Daddy once told a lot of lies to uncover the truth, but the person he was fighting was the real devil. _

_Anyway, I'm not going to be a fledgling forever. Maybe in a few years you'll consider reviewing my case. Thank you and good luck! Oh, and you're welcome. I could see it in your body language._

_Signed,_

_A fan._

_P. S. Please burn this letter. A professional never leaves evidence behind, ever._

Her thumbs leaving creases on the page, Kay scanned the words until she'd committed them to memory. Then, pulling her bandana over a wide smile, she took off on dark wings and disappeared into the night.


End file.
